Shaun The Conqueror (aka Shaun The Great)

Author's note: we were given a choice of prompt to write on. The one I chose was 'Her breath caught as she saw him standing there, sunlight dancing in his eyes.' We also had to choose a goal and mine was to get a 10 for voice.

Her breath caught as she saw him standing there, sunlight dancing in his eyes.  'Twas Shaun the Conqueror, also known as Shaun the Great. Only a few people in the universe knew his real name, and although I am one who knows, I am not allowed to say it. But I will anyways, his name was Shaun Campbell.

Mary ran over to where he was standing, a look of glory on his face. But before I continue with the epic tale that ensues, I should give you some background history of Shaun The Conqueror. He grew up in a small town in Wyoming. But even as a child, he knew that he was destined for greatness.

He always wanted to visit New York. So one day, he hopped a train. But he got on the wrong train, and ended up in China. But it was there that he met his trainer, a man that had no name. Well, he actually most likely had a name but it got lost in translation from the ancient Chinese scrolls on which the prophecy was written, but we'll call him The Ninja Master.

If your wondering what the prophecy was, it was that a man would come to China and order a hamburger with no burger, just ketchup and mustard. Then, he would fall into a sewer. After he got out of the sewer, a ninja would kidnap him and train him to be a ninja. This man would become the conqueror of the aliens when they invaded.

So, when he got to China, Shaun Campbell was hungry, so he ordered a hamburger from a hamburger stand. But he never really liked Chinese hamburgers, so he ordered one without the burger. But he really liked ketchup and mustard, so he told the dude at the stand to put those on. He ate the burger with no burger, and walked off to find another train.

The Ninja Master, not yet The Ninja Master, just a normal person, saw this happen. He had heard stories of the prophecy, and this got his attention. When Shaun Campbell got hit by a car and fell into a sewer, he knew that the prophecy was coming true.

Shaun Campbell climbed out of the sewer, and The Ninja Master that was still just a normal person waited for a ninja to come and kidnap him. But nobody seemed to notice what had happened. Then, it dawned on him. He was the one destined to be The Ninja Master, so he put on a ninja mask and grabbed a sack.

He went over and stuffed Shaun Campbell into the sack. The Ninja Master didn't really have a dojo or anything, so he just took him back to his apartment. When they got there, he let Shaun Campbell out of the sack.

"Where am I?" asked Shaun Campbell.

"The prophecy has come true. I must train you to be a ninja so you can defeat the aliens when they come," said The Ninja Master.

"Well, lets get cracking then," said Shaun Campbell.

"Well, I'm not really a ninja, but I do have Fruit Ninja for kinect," said The Ninja Master.

"I guess that will have to work," said Shaun Campbell.

And so they trained, into the wee hours of the night. They trained for weeks, then weeks became months, and months became years. Finally, the news came.

A messenger came into the apartment, and said: "Shaun Campbell, you are needed at the white house. We were spying on the alien planet and they're all getting on giant ship things with guns and stuff. We are positive they are meant for us. There isn't time to spare!"

So they boarded a bus and rode all the way to the white house. Once there, they went into the oval office. There was a screen with a view of the aliens. And sure enough, what the messenger said was true.

"What shall we do?" asked the president.

"Allow me to think," said Shaun Campbell.

"We don't have time to think!" said the president.

"Hey, that's no way to treat the chosen one. But okay. Where do you keep all the nukes?" replied Shaun Campbell.

"There's a button right here, but you're gonna have to aim 'em. There still all aimed at Russia from the Cold War. Oh and some of them are aimed at Iraq or Iran or Afghanistan, I get em all mixed up. But here's the aimy thingy, you just use this here controller." said the president."Oh yeah, some are aimed at the moon."

"Why do you have nukes aimed at the moon?" questioned Shaun Campbell.

"Um, uh, well, um, why do you have nukes aimed at the moon?" replied the president.

"Oh real mature. And I don't even have any nukes," said Shaun Campbell.

"Oh, sure, that's what they all say. Just look at Iraq! Well, it turns out they were telling the truth, but still!" said the president.

"I don't have time for this. I have a world to save," said Shaun Campbell dramatically.

The president handed Shaun Campbell a TV with a controller that looked suspiciously like an Xbox controller attached to it. On the screen was an X that he could move with the controller. He zoomed way out, and aimed over to the alien's planet.

"Okay, they're all aimed," said Shaun Campbell. "Where's the launch button?"

"Right here in the middle of my desk. You have no idea how many times I've almost launched 'em all." replied the president.

Shaun Campbell ran over and pressed the button. They all turned to look at the screen. After about a ten minute delay (the planet was pretty far away), the nukes hit. They rapid fired into the planet one after another. The nuking lasted a couple hours, and the planet was obliterated.

"Jeez, how many nukes do you have?" asked Shaun Campbell.

"I dunno, we lost track at around 17,000. But I guess we have pretty many! And that was just half, the others are buried under the white house. But Mr. Shaun Campbell, you have just saved the world, just like the prophecy said. I now call you Shaun The Conqueror." said the president.

"I kinda like Shaun The Great," said Shaun The Conqueror.

"Well, it can be both then," said the president.

And that was how the legend was born. And now for the epic story I was telling you about. I might have to finish later because some men with black suits just came in and they don't look like they're here for tea. They're all babbling about how I'm not supposed to say Shaun The Conqueror's real name or something, so this is the end, for now.

Harrison Bergeron Retelling

Author's Note: We read the short story Harrison Bergeron and I had to write a retelling of it so I did. 

Harrison Bergeron takes place in the future when everyone is equalized by some sort of handicap. Two people see their son Harrison escape from prison. He takes over a TV station, rips off his handicaps, defies gravity, and tells everyone he's the new Emperor. But then the he gets killed by the government, and his parents, who witnessed the event on TV, soon forget what happened.

A Christmas Carol Assignment

Author's Note: This was an assignment where we had to take a quote from A Christmas Carol and analyze it. 

Quote:

"I don't know what to do!" cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath; and making a perfect Lacoon of himself with his stockings. "I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man, A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!" (pg 81)

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens

This quote is from Scrooge, when he gets back from his journey with the third ghost, and wakes up on Christmas morning. This passage represents the change that happened to Scrooge. He is no longer the grumpy old man, and now is filled with joy and happiness. The tone of this quote is obviously happy, because some of the symbols; like similes such as happy as angel, lights as a feather, and merry as a school boy. This just shows how happy Scrooge is, giddy with happiness, and a new man.

Assignment #1

I think that in Milkweed that Misha will escape the camp. Right now he is able to escape but he keeps coming back because his friends are there. I think eventually they will leave the ghetto for the concentration camps because that is what happened to the Jews during World War 2. But Misha will play dead and escape, because the same thing happened in the book Elephant run. In Elephant Run this kid's dad was trapped in a camp by the Japanese, but he pretended to die and got out. So I think the same thing will happen in Milkweed.

A Narwhal Christmas

 Author's Note: The purpose of this piece was to inform people of my Christmas. It isn't really good,  actually it's pretty bad. It's just kind of random but it's funny so read it and don't fight the awesomeness, embrace it.

I woke from my deep slumber, and was at once wide awake. 'Twas Christmas morning, and the new snow glittered magically as I looked out my window. I ran down the stairs, and took in all the presents that sat under the tree. One of them caught my eye. There was a big tank of water, with a floating ball of wrapping paper. The paper was in the shape of a giant fish, except there was a horn on the front. Oh, well, I would find out what it was soon enough.

That was the first present I chose to open. I plunged my hands into the tank, and tore off the wrapping paper. When I was done, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a Narwhal! The only name that seemed fitting jumped to my mind as I instantly proclaimed his name as…. Rainbow! Rainbow became my new best friend. He lived in our swimming pool in our backyard. He was about 25 feet long, counting his horn.

One day, we decided to go on an adventure. We were bored of our boring lives of doing nothing but playing video games all day. So we went to find the legendary Bacon Mountain. But first I had to train him to fly, because there was no way to travel by water all the way to Bacon Mountain. We started with basic jumping drills, getting him out of the water. Then we built up the strength of his tail so he could propel himself through the air. After hours of training, we finally got him to fly.

So one day, I packed up a lunch for both of us, a peanut butter sandwich for me and marmalade for the narwhal. Then we took off. We soared through the air at ten thousand feet, keeping a sharp eye out for Bacon Mountain. Then, Rainbow spotted it. He dove sharply downward, and I held on for dear life. He evened out his flight path as we neared bacon mountain. I threw a lasso around it and hooked it, and we flew back home.

Back home, we munched on the wonderful tasting bacon. But little did we know the Bacon Mountain was property of the US government. The FBI had security cameras placed around the mountain, and they caught us stealing it on camera. Luckily, my face was hidden from view, so they only pegged Rainbow. He because number one on the FBI's most wanted list. He was now a fugitive from the law.

Rainbow had to start his life of crime, running from the law. He put a ski mask over his face, and grabbed his belongings and a supply of marmalade. We said our goodbyes, and he flew off into the sunset. He said he would try to visit every now and then, but I was still sad. As I watched him fly off, a tear trickled down my 

 cheek. 

Rainbow's wanted poster

Milkweed Themes Essay

 Author's Note: This is an essay discussing the themes in "Milkweed". More specifically loss of innocence. I compared it to "Life of Pi".

People are dying in the streets. Dead bodies litter the ground, and poor souls  barely clinging to life stumble over the rubble. People are willing to eat anything that is digestible, anything to stay alive. But young Misha, unsure of his age, name, or past, seems oblivious to all this. Even though the Nazis are slowly torturing his friends, he loves them for their big black boots. That is, until the moment he finally figures out what is going on.

Misha is completely innocent,  he just doesn't seem to notice hat is happening in the ghetto. People are dying around him, and he doesn't even care. He was never able to live a normal life. And he realizes this when he is an adult and immigrates to America. He just babbles on street corners about his past, because he finally realizes what he really witnessed. The childhood moments with death and torture are stamped into his mind, and he will never be able to forget them. The effects of witnessing such horrible events have made it so it is impossible to live a normal life.

The same thing sort of happens in Life of Pi. When Pi is starving in the lifeboat, he does some things nobody would do in a normal situation. He resorts to cannibalism, and eats a part of the dead cook. He is a strict vegetarian, and he eats fish and other animals. All these events, especially the cannibalism, will cause his to not live a normal life. He will always have this on his conscience, the fact that he ate another human being. In a way, he lost his innocence when he resorted to cannibalism.

Just like Pi, Misha lost his innocence. He witnessed things that no person should ever witness, and as a result paid for it later on. He no longer was able to live a normal life with his memories imprinted in his mind. He was completely unaware of the fact that the Jews were being left alone to die inside the ghetto, until the moment he finally understands. From that moment on, he is tortured by his memories.

Assignment #3

Author's Note: This is an assignment about a character in our book. We had to analyze a character and their motives and if they were dynamic or static. 

The main character in Milkweed is Misha, an orphan boy who's age is not known, and is not smart. Misha just wants to survive, and help his friends survive in the ghetto. When he sees his friend dangling by his neck from a street light, he barely notices. He does this by stealing food from the outside and bringing it back in. The character is dynamic, because he changes the lives of others. The Milgroms probably wouldn't have survived without Misha. Misha is pretty much their only source of food, like when he gives them eggs. He is kind of like Pi, because his only motive is to survive. He doesn't really understand enough to have any other motive.

Assignment #2

Author's Note: This is the assignment about how the point of view of our book is important. I thought the point of view was really important because the main character had no clue what was happening. 

The point of view in Milkweed is extremely important. It is told from the point of the orphan kid, who's age is not know, but has no clue what is going on. When the Nazis come, he likes them because if their big, shiny, black boots. Some times he describes events vividly and they turn out to be the least important. Then he'll sum a large event in a page or two, like when he was on the farm, he talked about it for a couple pages. It turns out he was on the farm for three years. Disturbing images are described by him so blandly, like how dead bodies of Jews littered the streets, he seems completely unaffected by it. There is one event that comes to mind that I didn't understand at all. Misha finds his friend and the leader of the band of boys, Uri, in a hotel for the Nazi soldiers working as a busboy. At the end, he shoots off Misha's ear. I think this was so they thought he was dead and wouldn't put him on the train to the concentration camp, but the reader is never sure. Both these events are examples of what I am trying to say. He just doesn't notice what is going on around him, and can't describe the things he does understand. This changes how the story is viewed.

The story would completely different if it was told from a different perspective or third person. If it were told through the eyes of an adult, the reader would have a different take on the story. It would be so much about a kid not knowing that he is in a desperate fight for survival, and into just another historical fiction novel about the holocaust. If it were told from third person but still followed Misha, it would also be different. The reader would get more details and have a solid view of what is happening. With Misha's poor descriptions, the reader never has a concrete idea of what is happening.

Milkweed Perspective

Author's note: In Milkweed the perspective is from the point of view of a kid who doesn't understand what is happening. I changed it to his "uncle" Uncle Shepsel, who is trying to convert from a Jew to a Lutheran so he can get out of the ghetto where they keep all the Jews. 

I realized that was no way out of the ghetto, at least if I remained a Jew. So I decided to become a Lutheran. It started when I got a book about Lutheranism. I read the book front to back a thousand times, memorizing all the words. I taught myself how to be Lutheran, and I was no longer a Jew. I was free, free at last. It made me happy just thinking about the prospect of going home and living a normal life again. But it didn't last all that long. When they started the deportation, I was confident I would not have to go, because after all, I was not a Jew. But they didn’t listen to me. They took me anyways, despite my pleads that I was no longer a Filthy Son of Abram. Why didn’t they listen?

Conveniently Blind

What are the chances that two tiny lifeboats, in the middle of the ocean, each with a blind man in control, would meet? You might say the odds are pretty low, and you would be right. However,  in Life of Pi, the author creates this very scenario.  It seems so unbelievable that it must be symbolism. When Pi encounters the blind man, it symbolizes guilt.

When Pi first meets up with the blind man, he believes he is talking to Richard Parker. so he asks him, "I'm curious, tell me - have you ever killed a man?" After talking a bit, the voice, whoever it is, answers the question with a yes. He says he has killed "a man and a woman", and later saying "the man first the woman second." Well, the end of the book Pi tells a short version without the animals, where the cook killed the sailor and Pi's mom. That's a man and a woman, so this leads me to believe he is talking to the cook.

But Pi killed the cook, as seen when he confesses: "Then we fought and I killed him." It's plain and simple; the cook died. So how is Pi talking to the cook if he is dead? Remember that Pi is blind. So he doesn't actually see the other man, who is blind as well. It sure is convenient to go blind, right? Well, that could be symbolism, too. Your eyes symbolize your soul, so Pi going blind could symbolize that he had some regret or guilt that he thought was troubling his soul. Maybe the blind man was blind too because he was feeling guilt. Although when Pi asks him "Any regrets?" he answers with "It was them or me", and tries to close the subject. I think the blind man (or Pi himself) really was regretful about what he had done, and just tried not to show it.

I don't think the blind man was real; it was just Pi's imagination, his guilt for killing the cook. The blind man tries to kill Pi, which would have been Pi being overcome by guilt. But Richard Parker kills the blind man, which could be Pi's survival instinct kicking in. The point is, the blind man was symbolizing Pi's guilt for killing the cook.

Life of Pi response

Author's Note: We had to respond to what we thought this meant: "The idea of a religious boy in a lifeboat with a wild animal struck me as a perfect metaphor for the human condition. Humans aspire to really high things, right, like religion, justice, democracy. At the same time, we're rooted in our human, animal condition. And so, all of those brought together in a lifeboat struck me as being... as a perfect metaphor." It's the author talking about his book. So here is what I thought.

I think that what Yann Martel meant was that it his story symbolized humans. What I think he meant that humans are always worrying and thinking about things that are really out of our control and humans worry about things that we really can't change. We're constantly thinking about religion and justice like the author said. But really we're just animals trying to survive.

Are you proud of your country?

I guess I am proud of my country. We did after all win our freedom against like the strongest army. Also we are a free country which is good. But sometimes I don't agree with things our country does and all the corporate stuff and all that junk. But I would have to say that overall I am proud of our country.

Shaggy

Scooby-Doo is one of the most famous and recognizable cartoons of all time. The mild scares and goofy  characters are great for amusing little kids. The simple and repeating plots backed up with cheesy scares  have been entertaining young children for practically fifty years. So it may come as a surprise to know  one of the main characters, Shaggy, is a pothead. The talking-dog thing, the interesting-speech-patterns  thing, the constant-hunger thing, all point to one conclusion. The iconic kids show character Shaggy is a  drug addict.

First of all, Shaggy has a talking dog, Scooby, of course. But it might be more than just a normal talking  dog as you would see on a kids show. Scooby talks kind of funny, even for a talking dog. There could be  other reasons that he talks the way he does, and even talks at all. If Shaggy is on drugs, he could be  hallucinating Scooby talking. Or maybe poor Scooby is being given drugs by Shaggy, therefore  encouraging him to speak. Either way, I believe Scooby is more than just a talking dog.

Have you ever noticed that Shaggy also talks kind of funny? "Hey Scoob dude, want some Scooby snacks,  man?" This could be a result of all the drugs he is potentially doing. I don't know about you, but it does  seem a little weird the way he talks, especially in contrast against the other characters. He talks like a  hippie, when the 1960's were infamous for drugs.

That brings me to another subject: Shaggy and Scooby's constant desire for food. Sometimes after  smoking marijuana, the subject gets the munchies. That would explain why Scooby and Shaggy are  constantly eating huge portions of food. They're always chowing down giant hamburgers and ice cream  and huge subs. How else would you explain this constant and raging hunger other than the munchies?  This all is just more evidence against them.

Maybe the Scooby Snacks that Shaggy and Scooby love could symbolize drugs. Shaggy and Scooby will  do almost anything for Scooby Snacks; they just can't resist the temptation. If someone asks them to say  go into a haunted house full of ghost to investigate, they would resist. Do it for a Scooby Snack, it's no  question. Maybe Scooby Snacks are portrayed as just dog treats, but are meant to be something else.  

I really think that Shaggy, and even maybe Scooby, are drug addicts. There are just too many things that  lead towards it. Shaggy has conversations with his talking dog, absolutely loves to eat dog treats, talks  like a hippie from the sixties, and always has the munchies. Maybe the creators of the show meant  this,  and symbolized drugs through Scooby Snacks. The show was after all created in the sixties, one of the  most prominent drug eras of the USA. The fact he does drugs is possible, likely, and obvious.

Ninjas on a plane

It was their turn to go through the metal detector. The young man gulped and tried not to show his nervousness. He had nothing to be nervous about, but he still was for some reason. It was the moment of truth, and he stepped through. Nothing, he was clear. The aluminum gun had not sprung the metal detector. He continued a couple yards, and then stopped to wait for his two friends.

They too cleared the metal detector. They continued on their way to their terminal. There were three of them, all had fake names. One had light brown hair, with blue eyes and glasses. His face was clean-shaven, and he wore a Nebraska University sweatshirt. The next had dark hair and dark eyes, with a black goatee. He wore a button up shirt and jeans. The last had brown hair and green eyes, clean shaven and wearing a plain t-shirt. All were in their mid thirties, and highly trained ninjas.

All three had the same goal, to hijack the plane flying from the New York Airport to Paris, France. They would hold the plane until the government agreed to give them one million dollars each. They reached the terminal, and sat down. The plane would start boarding in ten minutes. Those minutes felt like an eternity. It was raining outside, and the drops pattered against the window looking out onto the runway. Eventually, the plane arrived, and they boarded.  

They had business class seats towards the front of the plane. They sat down in the row three across, and settled in for the long flight. The plane taxied on the runway, and then took off. They would hijack the plane when it was over the Atlantic Ocean, so there was nowhere to land. So, one read a book, one listened to music, and the other just looked out the window.

Two hours later, they were a ways over the ocean. With a slight nod from the one on the isle, they started to put their plan into action. The three of them walked up to the front. They stormed into the cockpit.

One of the hijackers punched out the pilot. One of the other hijackers did the same to the copilot. The third threw the pilot out of the way and sat in the seat. He picked up the mic and spoke into the intercom.

“Hello, this is your ‘pilot’ speaking. I would like to inform you that we have control of the plane, and you are now our hostages.”

Panic ensued in the cabin, and some people started crying. One man in the back got up, and headed to the front. He went in, and the three hijackers turned around. He roundhouse kicked the one in captain’s seat, and slammed another into the control board. The last he punched out. He was about to take the controls, when the one he roundhouse kicked karate chopped him.

By now the three ninja hijackers were up, and they ripped off their outer layer to reveal their ninja outfits. The man too pulled off his outer layer and revealed his ninja clothes. One of the hijackers pushed him out of the cockpit. The stewardess was coming forward with the drink cart. The man flipped over it, and pushed it forward down the aisle. It hit the hijackers and knocked them back.

One of the hijacks climbed over the cart and grabbed the man. He picked him up and threw him back to the front. The man got up, and grabbed the two other hijackers. He sent them flying into the side of the plane. The last one had come towards him. The man lunged for the plane door and grabbed the latch.

He twisted it open, and the door swung violently outward. The man gripped on for dear life. The three hijackers tried to hold on, but were sucked out by the escaping pressure and fell towards the earth. The man jumped back into the plane with some difficulty, then shut the door.

He went back into the cockpit and over to the pilot. He was out cold. The man grabbed the controls, and looked out the front. The plane was descending quickly towards the ocean. He pulled the plane up, and the bottom skipped over the water, and then swooped back up. He returned the plane to altitude, and then went back to the pilot.

The pilot was slowly coming to. He fully regained consciousness, and went back to the controls. The copilot joined him shortly after. The pilot got on the intercom and announced that everything was okay. They flew the plane all the way to their destination in London, and successfully landed at the airport, all passengers, save the ninja hijackers, were unharmed.